A group of business leaders and residents in Fields Corner has called on the city to conduct a parking study that could lead to the first-ever parking meters on Dorchester Avenue. Much of the avenue’s path through the neighborhood has long been governed by two-hour parking restrictions, but enforcement has been lax and inconsistent, leading to a shortage of spaces that is hurting small businesses, according to some merchants.

“At the rate it’s going, it’s going to take forever for some of our businesses to be profitable,” said Junior Pena, who owns two restaurants on the avenue with partner Vivian Veth. “We might take a break, or we might have to close or go somewhere else. We told the city that if things don’t change, we don’t know if we can keep the businesses that are struggling here open much longer. People would rather go somewhere else where parking isn’t as stressful, even if the food isn’t as good as ours.”

Though a long-time problem, the new popularity of restaurants and businesses in Fields Corner and a wave of all-day transit parkers as the pandemic has subsided have aggravated the situation.

City officials have, so far, lent a sympathetic ear to those calling for the study, which would mirror a similar survey that took place in Roslindale earlier this year. That review resulted in a recommendation for a combination of solutions, including metered parking.

On April 11, members of Fields Corner Main Streets, the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), and other Wu administration leaders gathered to look at possible solutions to the parking problem.

Hiep Chu, who is active with the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA), is open to parking meters, or, at the least, a study on the parking situation. “The issue is that people are still allowed to park anywhere in Fields Corner and take the T wherever they go,” he said.

“That’s a problem still and has been for many years. It’s hasn’t been properly dealt with as long as I can remember, maybe 35 years…We have a good amount of two-hour parking, but the enforcement issue could be better and be more frequent. It’s a problem and it’s not good for residents and it hurts businesses and foot traffic,” he added, noting that residents also contend with auto body shops that park their repaired cars on the street. After 35 years, Chu said, it’s time for changes.

FCCA president Jim Doyle said he is waiting until later in May to form an opinion on the issue, when more information will be available.

Pena and Veth, who also own Kim’s Flower Shop and Landmark Realty, say that the two restaurants they run— My Sister’s Crawfish III and My Sister’s Sandwich Café – are being heavily impacted.

Veth said they have found a very good morning business at their sandwich café with grab-and-go Vietnamese-themed lunch boxes for workers. However, by 6 a.m., most of the parking in front of their store is taken up by commuters.

“We’ve worked out a system where they place an order and we have them wait at the parking lot down the street,” said Veth. “When it’s ready, we call them, and they drive by, and we bring it out to them.”

Pena said many customers get frustrated and park in “No Parking” zones that result in $90 tickets. And while enforcement on the two-hour parking is spotty, he said enforcement is swift in “No Parking” zones under the MBTA bridge. He said there are a mix of parking issues, but the commuters “take it to another level,” adding:

“I think if the city gets this right and they do add parking meters it will help. We have two-hour parking now, but they might as well put a ‘4’ next to it and make it 24-hour parking because that’s what it is…If you come for a good meal and leave with a $90 ticket – that’s not going to leave a good taste in your mouth.”

His point has been well-taken in Roslindale, where merchants and residents were dealing with a similar commuter parking issue related to the commuter rail station and the bus lines that converge there. The city engagde in a parking study to see how people use the curb – monitoring cars, deliveries, and businesses. Recommendations came out in March and included 15-minute pick up/drop off zones; one-hour and four-hour parking meters; regulated unrestricted parking; parking restrictions Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; free four-hour parking in municipal lots; and additional handicap parking.

That process is nearing the implementation stage, but in Fields Corner it’s in its infancy, with Fields Corner Main Streets continuing to survey the neighborhood and expecting to meet again with the city next month with the prospect of an official parking study – and the possibility of a parking meter recommendation – in the offing.

Pena and Veth say that meters or parking changes will only be as effective as the enforcement that is dedicated to Fields Corner. “I always add to that that you can have all the technology and innovation in the world, but if you don’t have the capacity to enforce it or boots on the ground, it may not be so helpful,” said Pena.